Ashley Martyn and Nadia Zaid
After a few years of teaching music in a home studio, recent uOttawa graduates Nadia Zaid and Ashley Martyn realized their dream and opened Barrhaven Music Academy (BMA) in July.
“My advice to anyone who’s wishing to start a business would be ‘Go do it, and do it young!’ Also, find a partner who’s willing to put in the effort,” says Ashley.
Having completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Communications in 2008, Ashley acquired what she describes as an invaluable set of knowledge and skills that helped her develop her business. A large part of BMA’s advertising strategy relies on word of mouth—only these days, most of that conversation happens online.
With their foundation in communication, music and education studies, Ashley and co-founder Nadia, a uOttawa Bachelor of Education graduate, worked to establish the school’s presence through many mediums: BMA has a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a blog and profiles on LinkedIn and YouTube. The benefits of this strategy are already paying off: just two months after opening, the school has over 100 new and returning students registered for the fall semester.
“Marketing is important to the growth of any business,” says Martyn. “Social media is taking over, and it’s very important to make good use of these tools in your marketing strategy.”
While Canada’s artistic community is primarily rooted in cities like Toronto or Montreal, Martyn aspires to see our artistic community develop to its fullest.
“I would love to see Ottawa’s art sector blossom in that way,” she says.
The school will host its first event of the upcoming year on September 22. The 1st Annual Music 4 Brynn Outdoor Concert and Fundraiser aims to raise awareness for Brynn Mclennan’s stem cell treatments and bring hope to those who are battling muscular dystrophy across Canada.
For more information on BMA, visit www.barrhavenmusicacademy.com.
